Toy building kit



March 19, 1940.

J. H. BARNES TOY BUILDING KIT Filed April 30, 1938 IN VENTOR.

ATTORNEYS,

Patented Mar. 19, 1940 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFlCE Application April 30, 1938, Serial 2 Claims.

' This invention relates to a toy kit for making miniature imitations of bricks, stone, blocks, etc. The object of this invention is to device a method and apparatus for making miniature imitations of various natures and forms of building materials which can be assembled so as to simulate the appearance of many different kinds of buildings and other structures and the decoration thereof.

In carrying out this invention, it is the object to employ plastic material which is molded into strips of bricks or the like, after which these strips are built up together in the form of the house or other building which it is desired to sim- 5 ulate in its form and decorative appearance.

The object of this invention includes also the provision of various apparatus for facilitating the carrying out of the general method in its various forms.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the frame filled with plastic material;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a bottom elevation of one form of die;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the manner of assembly of the die with the frame when in actual use;

Fig. 6 illustrates a finished strip of imitation bricks;

'7 is a bottom plan view of a cutter which is to be employed for making posts or the like, in connection with the same frame;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 'l; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a tool for cutting and smoothing the plastic material so as to fill exactly the recess of the frame.

It is to be understood that the present form of disclosure, both as to method and apparatus is merely for the purpose of illustration and that there may be devised various modifications 45 thereof without departing from the spirit of the present invention as herein set forth and claimed. i

The frame I is formed with a cut-out portion throughout the entire length thereof so as to provide an open-ended recess 2 which is here shown as being of rectangular form although the form. may be varied, as well as the depth thereof. This recess is adapted to receive the plastic material, such for instance as clay, wax, etc., out of which the molded imitation brick or the like is to be formed. However, before placing the plastic material in the recess 2, I have provided for the insertion of a moisture-proof strip of flexible material, such for instance as cloth, paper, etc., which fits exactly in the full length 5 of the bottom of the recess and extends slightly therebeyond at least at one end thereof so as to facilitate the gripping of the same for removal, as will be explained. With this strip 3 placed in the bottom. of the recess 2, the plastic material is then filled into the recess throughout the entire extent thereof and is smoothed off over its top surface by means of the blade 4 so as to have the plastic material smooth and flush with the top of the frame I. The blade 4 will be employed also to cut the excess of plastic material from the ends of the recess so as to have it fill the recess, exactly throughout.

As indicated in the drawing, the blade l is constructed of a single piece of metal, the handle 20 la being formed integral with the blade itself, this constituting a very inexpensive tool for in-- clusion as part of the toy kit herein contemplated. v

In Figures 1 and 2, the plastic material is shown as being in the raw or unformed state before application of the die and is indicated by reference letter A.

The form of die shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is adapted to form a strip simulating a brick facing, a number of bricks being included within the mold to be formed by this die, as will appear from the drawing. This die consists of the body 5 which has a handle upon the one side thereof and intersecting brick-like ribs for forming the simu- 35 lation of joints between the bricks, these ribs being indicated by reference numeral 6. The body 5 has also a projecting portion along the one side thereof, as indicated at 'l, for engagement in the cut-away portion 8 provided in the 40 frame I, this means of interengagementbetween these parts being for the purpose of properly positioning the die upon the frame and for properly determining the depth of its forming action upon the plastic material. The plain edge portion of the die will engage the shoulder provided by the cut-away portion 8, and thus the position of the die will be predetermined both laterally and vertically. in its use upon the frame I, as will be seen from Fig. 'l. The ribs 6 will be formed of the proper depth so as to provide the depth of seam or joint desired between the finished strip of imitation bricks, and the provision just described will ensure that this depth of seam or joint will be the same in all specimens of work turned out by this apparatus.

The form of the die may be varied according to the character of imitation construction desired, as for instance brick, stone, block, tile, and almost any other style of relief work of an ornamental nature for use in model buildings and other structures.

It is possible also to simulate other forms of construction, as for instance fences, forts and the like; and with this in mind, I have provided a piece of apparatus for forming a plurality of fence posts, rails or bars at a single operation with my present frame. This particular piece of apparatus is illustrated in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 of the drawing and comprises the end members 9 on the die body I 0 and the wires H strung between the members 9 so as to be free and practically taut so as to be able to cut through the plastic material. The members 9 are of such depth that the Wires will cut through the entire depth of the plastic material when the tool is applied to the same within the frame I. The space between the members 8 is enough greater than the length of the frame to permit these members to be entirely outside of the frame l and thereby permit the unobstructed movement of the wires H entirely to the bottom of the recess 2, the number and spacing of the wires being predetermined so as to divide the plastic material into the desired number of rails, posts or the like of equal size. The die it has also the projecting portion I2 which is adapted to engage within the cut-away space 8 of the frame I so as to properly position the die or cutter in the same manneras above described in connection with the die 5.

A similar tool may be provided for cutting the plastic material transversely so as to form a plurality of comparatively short posts or the like while employing the same frame I. (Dr another tool may be provided for forming transversely extending imitation joints alone, or joints extending in any other direction or directions according to the character of wall or facing which it is desired to simulate.

It is to be understood that after a desired number of molds of the desired form have been made, they will be built up into the structure to be im itated; and later this structure may be converted into a mass of the original form of plastic material for repeated use in the same manner, or it may be rendered of permanent form for preservation if so desired.

It will be seen that this apparatus is comparatively simple and may be used with great convenience and amusement, and can be marketed at a very low cost, all of the required apparatus being included in a kit to be sold as such.

In actual operation, the recess 2 will be supplied with more than enough plastic material to fill the same, and then the blade is moved over the top side of the frame I so as to remove the excess and leave the plastic material flush with the top of the frame. For this purpose, the blade is made substantially wider than the recess 2.

The frame I may be made of wood or any other suitable form of material. The strip 3 may be made of oiled paper or the like so that it will not absorb the moisture of the plastic material. The die 5 may he made of Bakelite" or any other suitable material for forming the ribs integral therewith; or it may be formed in any other suitable manner. The tool l0 may also be formed of like material or it may be made of wood.

It Will be observed that the cut-away portion 8 is of such extent that it will serve as a means of ensuring level condition of the die when fully engaged therewith, this provision serving also to position the die laterally with respect to the recess 2, as above explained.

With the co-ordination of all of the several features herein described, there is produced an extremely practical form of device which possesses a variety of possibilities in the field of use for which intended, and which can be operated with success by all children and without any particular requirement of skill, but with endless amusement of a substantial character.

What I claim is:

1. In a toy kit for making miniature imitations of bricks and the like, the combination of a frame having an open-ended recess therein for receiving the plastic material, said frame having a cut-away portion of predetermined lateral and vertical extent adjacent the top of said recess throughout, and a die adapted for impressing the plastic material and having a latera1 projection of substantial longitudinal extent for engagement in said cut-away portion so as to determine the lateral position and vertical depth of impressing action of said die.

2. In a toy kit for making miniature imitations of bricks and the like, the combination of a frame having a rectangular, open-ended recess therein for receiving the plastic material, a removable, moisture-proof flexible strip adapted to fit in the bottom and extend the full length of said recess so as to be readily accessible at the end thereof for stripping the mold therewith from the frame, said frame having a cut-away portion of predetermined lateral and vertical extent adjacent top of said recess, and a die adapted for impressing the plastic material and having a lateral projection of substantial longitudinal extent for engagement in said cut-away portion so as to determine the lateral position and vertical depth of the impressing action of said die.

JOHN HERBERT BARNES. 

